Electric bottle warmer



May 29, 1951 R. R. FISHER ELECTRICBOTTLE WARNER Filed A rii 2911949 I IE;

m m 0 Q2 m 3 5... 6 m E \N W 0 a E w Q n m Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC BOTTLE WARMER 'Roy R. Fisher, Paris, Ky., assignor to Electric Steam Radiator Corporation, Paris, Ky., a corporation of Michigan Application April 29, 1949, Serial No. 90,427

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an improved heating device of the type wherein an electric circuit is completed by a quantity of water so that the flow of electric current results in'vaporizing the water. The invention is concerned particularly with devices such as bottle warmers and food warmers for baby food and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved commercial structure which is easier to manufacture from the cost point of view and the assembly point of view and which has distinct operational advantages. Primarily, it is an object to provide a unitary construction wherein. the heating Well may be formed of one piece and the heating unit inserted therein as a cartridge arrangement.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an electrode shape which prevents shorting of the electrodes in the event of high salt content in residual water. This is accomplished by shaping the electrodes on the opposite faces to widen the water gap as the Water level decreases. Other objects and features of the invention as well as details of the construction in operation will be found in the following description and claims.

Drawings accompany the disclosure and the various views thereof may be briefly described as:

Figure l, a central vertical section through the assembled unit.

Figure 2, a similar section at an angle of 90 degrees to the first section.

Figure 3, a plan view of the unit showing lines l| and 22 of the sections of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4, a modified construction showing how the outside decorative wall and the inside functional well may be formed of separate pieces.

Figure 5, a sectional view on line 55 of Fig ure 2.

This invention is intended to be an improvement on the device disclosed in my previous application which has matured to Patent 2,433,750 on December 30, 1947. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the unit is constructed of a single piece of molded plastic. The decorative outer support ing shell l0 blends integrally at the top with the upper rim of the inner functional well i2. The bottom I4 of the inner well i2 is solid, and the bottom surface of this bottom 14 has a horseshoelike ridge l6 provided with an opening l8 and a center septum 20, see Figure 5.

The heating unit, which is assembled before being inserted into the well, consists of a circular plate 24 which is provided with a central rectangular recess 26. Plate 24 is of ceramic material or other non-conductive, heat resistant substance. Secured to this plate 24 is an arch or bridge-like unit having a top span 28 and legs 30. The legs 39 rest on the edges of plate 24 and screws 32 hold the two parts together. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the bridge portion 28 is apertured to permit the passage of steam outwardly from the chamber 34 formed by the assembled units.

Resting in the shallow recess 26 of plate 24 on opposite sides thereof are two oblong carbon electrodes, blocks 36, spaced from each other in parallel relation. 'Iransfixing these carbon elec trodes together with the plate 24 and the bottom M are conductive bolts 49 on which are screwed nuts 42 to tighten the assembly. A sealing disc 44 is interposed between plate 24 and the plastic bottom of well l2.

As shown in Figure 5, the nuts 42 also serve to hold wires 48, respectively connected to the two bolts 42. The septum 22 serves to separate the two bolts and connecting wires which pass out wardly of the base through the gap IS in the horseshoe formation on the bottom. Referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that the carbon electrodes 3E curve or slant away from each other at 52 as they approach the bottom of the shallow recess 26, thus widening the gap between the electrodes at the bottom. It will be understood that this progressively widening gap can be accomplished by tilting the electrodes as well as by shaping them. A safety disc 68 underlies the unit being fastened to the horseshoe ridge I6 by bolts 62.

In the operation a bottle or other receptacle may be placed on the bridge which has raised crossridges 54 to prevent blocking of the steam holes. After a quantity of water is dumped into the unit and the wires 48 are connected to a wall plug, current will. flow between the electrodes 35 and resistance set up between the electrodes will create heat and steam, thus warming whatever is contained in the well l2. Frequently, in some localities the salts within the water will become concentrated as the water level decreases and arcing has been noticed between the electrodes. The particular formation and disposal of the electrodes as described above will prevent this arcing since the gap widens between the parts as the water level decreases.

In Figure 4, I have shown a modified structure in which the outer supporting shell [0A is connected to the inner functional well I2A by a threaded juncture l3, thus permitting the two parts to be made separately if it is desired that 3 the outer part have a decorative color different from that of the inner part.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple and effective heating unit which is completely safe in its operation and which has distinct advantages from the point of view of assembly since the heating unit, consisting of the plate 24 and the bridge 28, may be assembled initially before being inserted into the plastic body.

What I claim is:

1. A nursery bottle warmer of the type hav ing a central well and supporting walls connected to said well at the top and extending outwardly and downwardly to a point below the bottom of the well in which the bottom of the well is formed integrally with the walls thereof and is closed, a heating unit in said well comprising a heat resistant disc, spaced electrodes on said disc, conductors extending through the bottom. of said well transfixing said disc and the respective electrodes, means at the top and bottom of said conductors to create a clamping action to hold said electrodes and said plate rigidly in position, a cap-like bottle supporting member shaped to pass steam from and to cover said electrodes, and releasable means extending upwardly from the bottom surface of the heat resistant disc to engage said member removable only from said bottom surface to lock said caplike member over said electrodes.

2. A nursery bottle warmer as defined in claim 1 in which a sealing member is placed around an opening in said embossed portions and fastened to said conductors by said clamping means, and a non-conductive plate means fastened to said embossed portion to close said recesses from the bottom and prevent contact with said lead means and conductors.

ROY R. FISHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,744,505 Robinson Jan-21, 1930 1,806,729 Aitken a May 26, 1931 1,987,381 Twombly Jan. 8, 1935 2,049,899 Edelman Aug. 4, 1936 2,370,238 Fisher Feb. 27, 1945 2,403,334 Blanchard July 2, 1946 2,433,750 Fisher Dec. 30, 1947 

